Mountain(s): Conundrum Peak (14,060′) and Castle Peak (14,265′) Route: Conundrum Couloir (Steep Snow) Date: July 11, 2015 RT Distance: 14.5 miles RT Gain: 4,850′ RT Time: 10 hours Climbers: Ben, Jeff Summer is here. It’s crazy how fast the Colorado mountains transitioned from buried to dry. Most standard 14er routes only require a few short snow crossings these days, which isContinue reading “One More Drink, and I’ll Move On (Conundrum Couloir)”
Category Archives: Trips
Cornice Busting on Southpaw Couloir
Mountain: Torreys Peak – 14,267′ Route: Southpaw Couloir Date: July 3, 2015 RT Distance: 8 miles RT Gain: 3,000′ RT Time: 6 hours 45 minutes Climbers: Speth (speth), Adam, Jeff This snow-climbing season was disappointing. Between major life changes, a new puppy, a minor finger injury and the unsettled weather, I accomplished almost none ofContinue reading “Cornice Busting on Southpaw Couloir”
A Bond Between Strangers (Horseshoe Mountain/Boudoir Couloir)
There’s no point in denying it: Horseshoe Mountain’s Boudoir Couloir is a flat-out classic. I’d already climbed it in 2011 as one of my first snow climbs, but when Speth suggested it for this weekend, I had no qualms about returning. This April is all about getting into shape for the Skillet Glacier, anyway. IfContinue reading “A Bond Between Strangers (Horseshoe Mountain/Boudoir Couloir)”
Third Time’s the Charm on Mt. Princeton
MOUNTAIN: Mt. Princeton (14,197′) ROUTE: East Slopes RT GAIN: 5,400′ RT DISTANCE: 13.25 miles RT TIME: 10.75 hours PARTNERS: Jerry, Adam, Shawn, Joel Mt. Princeton had become something of a winter nemesis. I tried it in early January 2014 prior to shoulder surgery, but the recurring dislocations that necessitated said repair left me woefully out of shape. I only made itContinue reading “Third Time’s the Charm on Mt. Princeton”
Getting the Band Back Together (Marble Mountain)
Marble Mountain (13,266′) ROUTE: East Ridge RT DISTANCE: ~7 miles RT GAIN: ~3,500′ RT TIME: ~7.5 hours CLIMBER(S): Dan McCool, Ben Shulman, Jeff Golden I’ve always held the belief that the people with whom you share the trail are the best part about hiking. Lifelong bonds are made in the hills. The common goals, theContinue reading “Getting the Band Back Together (Marble Mountain)”
A Winter Preview on Quandary’s West Ridge
Quandary Peak: West Ridge (Fall 2014) Saturday was one of those times everything just comes together. As of early afternoon Friday, I still had no idea what I wanted to hike over the weekend. I would have loved to make the 14ers.com Fall Gathering in Lake City, but with a three-day trip to Vegas rightContinue reading “A Winter Preview on Quandary’s West Ridge”
A Walk to Remember (Mt. Harvard)
Mt. Harvard – South Slopes RT Distance: 14 miles RT Gain: 4,600′ RT Time: 6.5 hours Climber(s): Jeff (SurfNTurf) Mt. Harvard has crooned its siren song in my direction all summer. Of all the 14ers, it was the one I’d least-recently visited, way back in March 2011. I’d also never seen Horn Fork Basin inContinue reading “A Walk to Remember (Mt. Harvard)”
Mt. Adams: Adams Glacier (Grade III, Steep Snow, AI2)
Mt. Adams: Adams Glacier (June 29 – July 1, 2014) Mt. Adams (12,276’) is known as “Washington’s Forgotten Mountain.” Less than 50 miles from the legendary Mt. Rainier, poor Adams is often lost in the shadow of its larger cousin. It doesn’t help that the standard South Side walk-up route is the Pacific Northwest equivalentContinue reading “Mt. Adams: Adams Glacier (Grade III, Steep Snow, AI2)”
Chasing Ice: A Dress Rehearsal (Longs Peak / The Flying Dutchman)
MOUNTAIN: Longs Peak ROUTE: Flying Dutchman (Steep Snow, WI2) RT GAIN: ~4,100′ RT DISTANCE: ~11 miles RT TIME: 10 hours CLIMBERS: Keegan, Sam, Jeff Sam, Keegan and I had never climbed together as a team. Keegan had a little jaunt to Alaska to worry about, I was recovering from shoulder surgery and #SSSala was alwaysContinue reading “Chasing Ice: A Dress Rehearsal (Longs Peak / The Flying Dutchman)”
A Week Among the Clouds (Mt. Rainier / Liberty Ridge and Mt. Hood)
INTRODUCTION Liberty Ridge. The classic Grade III/IV snow-and-ice route on the insidious North Face of Mt. Rainier has earned innumerable superlatives; many consider it among the best climbs in the Pacific Northwest. An equal number of others, of course, dismiss it as overrated. Featured in Roper and Steck’s prestigious Fifty Classic Climbs of North America,Continue reading “A Week Among the Clouds (Mt. Rainier / Liberty Ridge and Mt. Hood)”